The ECOWAS Youth Ambassador, and Executive Director of Security Affairs Limited, Austin Peacemaker has dedicated his ‘United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Ambassador of Peace award to the Nigerian Army, for their enhanced civil military relations in the country, and the Nigerian Army’s resolute in the face of diverse controversies and distractions, currently ongoing in the country.
Peacemaker while receiving the award at the just concluded PAN African Leadership Symposium and Honors (PALESH- Abuja 2022) with the theme: Role of Inclusive Governance towards Consolidating Peaceful Co-Existence in Africa, told the cheering crowd that his award is dedicated to the Nigerian Army.
Austin Peacemaker, a Conflict and Security expert, received the award for his efforts in promoting peace, human capital development especially among the youths in Nigeria and around West African countries.
The award the organisers said is reserved for individuals who have distinguished themselves in promoting peace within and around their region and winners are carefully selected from various fields.
He said, “The gallant men and women of the Nigerian Armed Forces, have been resolute in their war against terrorism, including aiding in maintaining internal security which is primarily not their role. Some have paid the supreme prize”.
He admonished Nigerian youths to embrace peace no matter what, that violence will never achieve the new Nigeria we all dream of.
The ECOWAS Youths Ambassador has received many awards. He works as a civil-military relations consultant for the Nigerian Army Department of Civil-military Affairs, where he has touched many lives, made positive contributions to Nigerian national security by successfully creating platforms for military-civil engagement with social media influencers and key state actors across various states in Nigeria, with several tours to the Northeast to interact with frontline soldiers and also visit IDPs with humanitarian assistance.
It is worthy to note that this initiative has successfully helped address human rights abuses and brutality, curb fake news, hate speech and malicious reportage.
Most importantly changed negative narrative and perception from both the military angle as well as the civilian angle.
The young ambassador has successfully engaged over 5000 influencers and key stakeholders across 21 states of the Federation in partnership with the Nigerian Army.
He believes that the war against insecurity is beyond tanks and guns; thus he has continued to promote global peace and security.
